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GOLF TEACHING PRO® Magazine
MEET JENNIFER
CONRAD
Most USGTF members have talked to her at one time or another, but
very few have had the privilege of meeting her in person. We are
talking about none other than Jennifer Conrad, the USGTF’s
Membership Services Director.
When you talk to most
people who live in Florida, they are from some other state. Not
Jennifer – she was born, raised, and still lives in the Sunshine
State. Prior to working with the USGTF, she was the manager of a
retail store until the mall where the store was located shut down.
Contrary to popular belief, the mall did not shut down because of
anything Jennifer did…at least that’s what she tells us!
The store offered her
the opportunity to manage its Ft. Lauderdale location, but with
family and friends being an important part of her life, she
declined. After working several months for a construction company
and an insurance adjuster, she found a home with the USGTF. It is
the USGTF’s family atmosphere that holds appeal for Jennifer.
“I enjoy my job
because the people I work for and with are some of the best people I
have met in my life,” Jennifer remarked. “It’s like a big family and
everyone is always willing to go that extra mile to help you out or
make you smile when you need it. I continually learn new things and
meet new people and am always anxious to see what we will accomplish
next. In the past ten years, I have grown and matured along with the
organization and feel privileged to be a part of it.”
So, exactly what does
a Membership Services Director do? Plenty. Answer phones and daily
e-mail correspondence, handle prospective membership inquires,
handle current membership requests and services, monitors accounts
and processes paperwork, and maintains files and databases. Not only
that, she designs, develops and negotiates contracts with clients
and vendors, composes correspondence, arranges and schedules
meetings, and handles travel arrangements for the examining staff,
as well as assisting in the development of Golf Teaching Pro agazine.
There’s more, but it would probably take up half the magazine.
Needless to say, she is a very big part in making the USGTF the
efficient machine that it is.
When she’s not on
Port St. Lucie Blvd. keeping Geoff Bryant and Bob Wyatt in line, she
enjoys being around animals, doing crafts and scrapbooking, boating
and fishing (no better place than Florida, by the way),
four-wheeling, camping, and anything involving family and friends.
She and her fiancé, Ashley, share their brand new home with their
two children, daughter Kearstyn Nichole who is 6, son William Ashley
who is 4, two cats, Bonnie and Spook, and new puppy Sandy.
Being adventurous,
Jennifer also briefly raced a stock car, until shattering her wrist
during a practice lap. Danica Patrick is safe…for now.
Hopefully, Jennifer
will be with the USGTF for many years to come. Until then, she
enjoys what she’s doing both personally and professionally, while,
as she puts it, “Taking in every moment, because life is too short
not to.”
USGTF TO
RECOGNIZE OUTSTANDING MEMBERS
USGTF professionals are not only “leaders in the field of golf
instruction ®,” but they are leaders in other ways, too. Starting in
2008, a series of annual awards will be presented to those members
who epitomize the ideals that the USGTF represents. Nominations will
be taken until September 1, 2008, for the following awards:
-
Professional
of the Year – Presented to the USGTF member who has
displayed the highest standards of service to golf and the
USGTF.
-
Humanitarian
of the Year – Presented to the USGTF member who has
displayed unselfish work in the promotion of golf, primarily
impacting disadvantaged players.
-
Player of the
Year – Presented to the USGTF member who has excelled in
their playing performance while displaying the ideals of true
sportsmanship.
-
USGTF
Examiner of the Year – Presented to the USGTF examiner who
has demonstrated exceptional service to the organization.
To nominate a USGTF
member for a particular award, please e-mail Jennifer Conrad at
jenn@usgtf.com by the September
1 deadline. Nominations by regular mail may be sent to:
USGTF, 1295 SE Port St. Lucie Blvd., Port St. Lucie, FL 34952.
Please list the
person you wish to nominate, the award, and a nomination letter of
200 words or fewer. Self-nominations are welcome. The awards will be
determined by a vote of selected USGTF advisory board members, whose
decisions shall be final.
USGTF
EDUCATION CONFERENCE
We are pleased to announce the scheduling of a two-day continuing
education course available to all USGTF and WGTF members. This
two-day course will be held at the Saratoga Resort Villas in
Orlando, Florida, on Saturday, November 15 and Sunday, November 16,
2008. Course topics:
-
Clubfitting – by
Jeff Jackson
-
The Rules of Golf
– by Mark Harman
-
Mental Rules and
the Mental Aspect of Teaching – by Dr. Gregg Steinberg
-
Modern Mechanics
of Teaching – by Mark Harman
The course fee is
$225.00 and will run from 9am – 3pm each day with a one-hour break
for lunch (meal not included). Hotel accommodations are available at
the rate of $85.00 per night, plus tax. Reservations can be made by
contacting either Jennifer or Suzy at the USGTF National Office in
Florida at 1-888-346-3290.
USGTF &
WILSON GOLF
Wilson Golf has an amazing foothold in the golf industry, and is the
only golf manufacturing company that can claim an astounding 59
major victories to date. Every year, Wilson Golf’s R&D teams
continue to develop new and improved products to help golfers
benefit – from the everyday golfer to the tour professional.
Following a major victory by Padraig Harrington at the Open
Championship with the Pi7 irons in 2007, 2008 has already shown
promise with the wins of D.J. Trahan with prototype FG59 forged
irons, the zero compression core Zip golf ball winning Golf Digest’s
Hot List Award, and the Ci7 Irons winning “Club of the Year” from
Golf Magazine for “Best for Look” and “Best for Feel.” Also worth
mentioning is the unique FYbrid Fairway Utilities System. The FYbrid
system is the fusion of fairway woods and hybrids into one family
that provides consistent distance gapping, and helps prevent
confusion on long iron distances. It will help simplify your game
and your golf bag. Find your long range solution now by getting
FY-FIT at
www.wilsonstaff.com/fybrid.
Wilson Golf strongly
believes that the United States Golf Teachers Federation is the key
and the future for golfers of all ages. Wilson Golf values the time
and effort put into this program and would like to give the USGTF
the opportunity to purchase Wilson Staff products at approximately
10-20% off wholesale. Please contact Mike Salvano for prices and to
place orders at (800) 782-3385 or by e-mail,
mike.salvano@wilson.com.
USGTF
SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
When it comes to education, the USGTF has been at the forefront in
providing the best teacher training in the industry.
America’s college,
universities, and trade schools also play a main role in the lives
and futures of millions of young people, but such education is
costly. Fortunately, there are many sources of financial aid to help
these young people. Thanks to the generosity of grant, loan, and
scholarship programs, tomorrow’s leaders enjoy the opportunity to
pursue their educations in an affordable manner.
Because education is
also the core of our mission, we at the USGTF would like to
recognize a worthy candidate who is pursuing higher education. We
are pleased to announce the 2008 USGTF Scholarship Program. One
$1,500 scholarship will be awarded annually on a nonrenewable basis
to the son or daughter of a USGTF member in good standing. Criteria
for scholarship eligibility are as follows:
-
USGTF member in
good standing must be legal guardian of scholarship applicant
-
A letter of
acceptance or proof of enrollment from a two- or four-year
accredited college, university or technical school
-
A letter of
recommendation from a non-family member • High school or college
transcripts must be included
-
One-page,
single-spaced, typewritten essay on the topic, “The Lessons Golf
Teaches You”
The successful
applicant will be chosen based upon the above criteria by members of
the USGTF national office, whose decision shall be final. All
materials must reach the USGTF national office via US Postal Service
or courier by 5PM EDT Friday, July 18th, 2008. E-mail, fax, and
phone applications will not be accepted. The successful applicant
will be notified by Friday August 15th, 2008, and will receive a
check made co-payable to the applicant and the school. We are proud
to be able to contribute to the education of one of our USGTF family
members, and wish good luck to all applicants.
HI-TEC SPORTS
PARTNERS WITH USGTF
Hi-Tec Golf Shoe Brand is known for being the most comfortable and
lightweight golf shoe on the market. We are pleased to inform USGTF
members that Hi-Tec Sports has agreed to offer a 20% below wholesale
discount on all Hi-Tec golf shoes. To check out the latest product
line that Hi-Tec has to offer, please visit
www.Hi-Tec.com.
To place an order, please contact Robbie Kleabir at 1-888-346-3290.
LETTER RIP!
We love letters. We want to hear from you. Sing our praises, bust
our chops or just tell us what’s on your mind. Please send your
thoughts to:
Editor@GolfTeachingProMag.com.
STEVENS, HARMAN
WIN HICKORY CHAMPIONSHIP
USGTF Southeast Region director Mike Stevens and USGTF National
Course Director Mark Harman teamed to win the Southern Hickory Four
Ball championship at Selma Country Club in Selma, Alabama, April
3-4.
Stevens plays all of
his golf exclusively with hickory-shafted clubs, while this was
Harman’s initial foray with the ancient sticks. Trailing by threes
shots after a first day score of 73, Stevens-Harman fired the low
score of the second round at 70 to win by one stroke.
Stevens is a former
National Hickory champion, while Harman is a former five-time winner
of the United States Golf Teachers Cup.
USGTF
MEMBER GOLF CLUB SURVEY
What golf clubs are in your bag? The USGTF national office would
like to know. We are conducting a member survey of what you use.
Please list the brand names of the clubs that are normally in your
bag (Mizuno, Callaway, etc.) during a round of golf, and e-mail them
to Jennifer Conrad at jenn@usgtf.com.
We do not need specific details, such as what brands or models you
use for your driver or fairways woods, for example. Just the names
of the manufacturers will suffice. The survey will be used to
evaluate the relationship that USGTF members have with our industry
partners, and to see how best we can meet the needs of our members
when it comes to the manufacturers they prefer.
 IN
MEMORIAM BILL EVANS
Long-time USGTF member Bill Evans recently passed away after a
year-long bout with cancer. Bill had been associated with the USGTF
since the organization’s inception in 1989.
Early certification
course attendees in southwest Florida will likely remember Bill as
part of “Bill and Andy,” a reference to his close friend and fellow
USGTF member Andy Ritondale. Both gentlemen frequently assisted the
examiners at these certification courses.
Bill was originally
from Boston, Massachusetts, but in his later years made his home in
Indiantown, Florida. He was also the head teaching professional at
Indianwood Golf & Country Club.
Bill will be greatly
missed, and we at the USGTF national office send our condolences to
his family
and many friends.
USGTFMEMBERS.COM
WGTF members from around the world now have a personal website to
call home.
www.usgtfmembers.com is now online. This website, geared toward
members in good standing will offer news and information pertinent
to members throughout the world. A member bulletin board is also
available for use.
SOUTHEAST REGION
CHAMPIONSHIP DETAILS RELEASED
The first annual USGTF Southeast Region Champion ship will be played
Saturday-Sunday, August 23-24, 2008, at the Wildwood Country Club in
Craw fordville, Florida, just south of Tallahassee. The championship
will be held in conjunction with the Wildwood Open, a longtime
staple of the Tallahassee tournament scene. All USGTF members are
welcome to play.
USGTF members will be
competing against non-USGTF members for Wildwood Open honors and for
tournament prizes, but the low USGTF member will be named USGTF
Southeast Region champion. Play will be contested in professional,
senior professional (50+), and amateur divisions based on USGA
handicap. The Southeast Region meeting is also tentatively scheduled
for Saturday after the first round of play, to be conducted by
Southeast Region director Mike Stevens.
The entry fee is $175
for professional divisions and $125 for amateur divisions, and you
may sign up through the USGTF national office through Monday, August
18, either by check, money order, or credit card. Those paying by
credit card will be charged an additional $5 processing fee. The Inn
at Wildwood (www.innatwildwood.com),
adjacent to the course, is offering a special rate of $69 plus tax
for USGTF members. Reservations may be made by calling (800)
878-1546.
The Wildwood Country
Club (www.wildwoodforgolf.com)
is a scenic layout on Florida’s Nature Coast, and is just 6,504
yards from the back tees. A practice round may be scheduled by
calling the pro shop at (850) 926-4653.
NEW
NATIONAL OFFICE PRO SHOP
If you stop by the National Office in Port St. Lucie, Florida, you
will notice a prominent area that displays USGTF merchandise.
Occupying formerly extraneous office space, the new pro shop
features USGTF-logoed apparel, golf equipment, training aids,
instructional DVD’s and audio tapes, along with the US and World
Golf Teachers Cups proudly displayed.
All members who are
in the area are invited to stop by, meet the office personnel, and
check out the latest available in USGTF merchandise.
SDGA AGREES
TO REMOVE METATAGS
The San Diego Golf Academy, an entity that provides golf course
management programs, has agreed to remove all misleading meta tags
from its search engine listings. In a recent response to the USGTF
legal department, the SDGA has agreed “to remove all such meta tags
and other references to your client’s trademark.”
According to USGTF
president Geoff Bryant, “The USGTF will vigorously pursue any
persons or entities that improperly or illegally use our trademarks
to deceive the general public. In one respect, we are flattered that
many entities, recently including the PGA, feel compelled to use our
registered trademarks in their advertisements. However, we always
will move to protect our intellectual property. Service to our
members has always been a living, growing part of our organization’s
character and culture. We are very proud of our reputation, and on
behalf of our members have a responsibility for perpetuating it. For
this reason, we have never felt the need ourselves to have to engage
in deceptive trade practices.”
USGTF
MEMBER PENS NEW BOOK
USGTFMaster Teaching Professional Bob Mullen has written a new book
titled Golf from the Ground Up. In the introduction, he states,
“What I want most for my students is that they learn to play with
confidence, and more than that I want them to enjoy playing the game
as much as I do.”
The book is primarily
geared towards adult learners, those past the age of 20. According
to Mullen, adult learners don’t learn the same way that kids do, and
says that, “We now know the methods we used in the past are not
effective in teaching motor skills to adult students”…a very
interesting premise.
The book is scheduled
for print in October, and information on obtaining the book will be
featured in a future edition of Golf Teaching Pro.
Back to Main Articles
Copyright © 2011 United States Golf Teachers Federation, All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of this article in any kind is strictly prohibited.
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